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The Air Force is "not happy with the learning curve” on the RQ-4 Global Hawk remotely piloted aircraft program, David Van Buren, USAF's acting acquisition executive, told reporters during a meeting in the Pentagon, June 18, 2010. On both the government and contractor side, the program "needs to do better,” he said. Northrop Grumman supplies the Global Hawk. While in most programs, the cost of each successive lot goes down due to the learning curve and other improvements, Global Hawk is “going in the wrong direction,” said Van Buren. Here, airmen prepare to launch a Global Hawk from Beale AFB, Calif., April 8, 2010.